In the past, it was a common belief in some cultures that evil people are somehow marked, but also that a hero is born with a distinctive sign on the body or receives it during her initiation or adventures. Such traits can lead to identification (like Odysseus’s leg scar) or provoke some kind of reaction in a monster. In folktales and myths, a typical example is the “mark of the hero,” which allows others to know her true identity. For GMs wishing to delve past the superficial, some traits might even prove portentous. Some of an NPC’s physical traits dictate rules aspects (race, blindness, a limp, and so on), others can be merely cosmetic, and still others might reveal clues in a well-planned plot. A detailed description can do much to determine whether an NPC is memorable but might also suggest deeper elements. This might be nothing more than reference to the color of an NPC’s hair and noting her age, or it might be a detailed account of her beauty or ugliness. Thus, GM should consider the following character aspects as they design their NPCs.Īppearance: Every NPC worth describing has an appearance, something that sets the character apart and distinguishes her from the faceless masses as a unique individual. As such, an NPC who appears but once probably only deserves a few notes or a moment’s improvisation to convey the most basic traits, while a major character benefits from greater details, which might be revealed or evolve as the PCs interact with him. These aspects answer three questions fundamental to every NPC, from shopkeeps to kings: how do they look, what do they do, and how do they do it? How much effort the GM puts into detailing and refining the answers to these questions relates proportionately to the NPC’s importance to a story and his time spent interacting with the PCs. While not every NPC needs to be a unique masterpiece of imagination, every character the PCs interact with-those important enough to have a speaking role-should have at least three core elements: appearance, motivation, and personality. Once a GM knows what role his NPC needs to fulfill, the character’s details can begin taking shape.
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